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Quick Start

Get up and running with the LinkDing MCP Server in minutes.

Prerequisites Check

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • Python 3.12+ installed
  • LinkDing instance running
  • LinkDing API token ready

5-Minute Setup

1. Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/jon-the-dev/linkding-mcp-server.git
cd linkding-mcp-server
uv sync

2. Run the Setup Wizard

uv run linkding-mcp-setup

Follow the prompts to configure your LinkDing connection. The wizard will:

  • Ask for your LinkDing URL (e.g., http://127.0.0.1:9090)
  • Ask for your API token
  • Optionally enable destructive actions (add/update/delete)
  • Test the connection

Security Feature

By default, the server operates in read-only mode for security. You can search and view bookmarks, but cannot add, update, or delete them. To enable full functionality, answer "yes" when asked about destructive actions during setup.

3. Start the Server

linkding-mcp

The server will start and be ready for MCP client connections.

Integration with Claude Desktop

To use with Claude Desktop, add this to your configuration:

macOS Configuration

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linkding": {
      "command": "linkding-mcp",
      "env": {
        "LINKDING_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:9090",
        "LINKDING_API_TOKEN": "your_api_token_here",
        "LINKDING_ENABLE_DESTRUCTIVE_ACTIONS": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows Configuration

Edit %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json with the same content.

After adding the configuration, restart Claude Desktop.

Integration with Claude Code

Add to your Claude Code MCP settings (~/.claude.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linkding": {
      "command": "linkding-mcp",
      "env": {
        "LINKDING_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:9090",
        "LINKDING_API_TOKEN": "your_api_token_here",
        "LINKDING_ENABLE_DESTRUCTIVE_ACTIONS": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Try It Out

Once integrated with Claude, try these example prompts:

Search Your Bookmarks

"Search my bookmarks for Python tutorials"

"What bookmarks do I have tagged with 'react'?"

"Find my unread bookmarks"

Add New Bookmarks

"Bookmark https://docs.python.org with tags python and documentation"

"Save this article for later: https://example.com/great-article"

Organize Bookmarks

"List all my tags"

"Archive the bookmark about old JavaScript frameworks"

"What tutorials have I saved but not read yet?"

Check for Duplicates

"Is https://github.com already in my bookmarks?"

"Check if I've already saved this URL: https://example.com"

Available Tools

The server provides these tools for LLM interaction:

Tool Description
search_bookmarks Search bookmarks with filters
add_bookmark Add new bookmarks
get_bookmark Retrieve bookmark by ID
update_bookmark Update existing bookmarks
delete_bookmark Delete bookmarks
archive_bookmark Archive bookmarks
unarchive_bookmark Unarchive bookmarks
check_url Check if URL is bookmarked
list_tags List all available tags
list_bookmarks_by_tag Filter bookmarks by tag

Troubleshooting Quick Fixes

Server Won't Start

# Check environment variables are set
echo $LINKDING_URL
echo $LINKDING_API_TOKEN

# Verify LinkDing is running
curl http://127.0.0.1:9090/api/bookmarks/ -H "Authorization: Token ${LINKDING_API_TOKEN}"

# Check Python version
python --version  # Should be 3.12+

API Errors

# Enable debug mode
export LINKDING_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
linkding-mcp

Connection Issues

# Test LinkDing connectivity
curl -I http://127.0.0.1:9090

Next Steps

Now that you're up and running:

Getting Help